Benue Igede Youths Protest Over 37-Year Neglect of Otukpo–Obi–Oju Road
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
Youths from the Igede ethnic group in Benue State on Tuesday staged a massive protest over the deplorable condition of the Otukpo–Obi–Oju road, a vital route connecting their communities to other parts of the country.
Protest Rocks Benue South Over Neglected Federal Road
According to Akahi News findings, the demonstrators, drawn from Oju and Obi Local Government Areas — the heart of Igede land in Benue South Senatorial District — blocked sections of the highway while chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with inscriptions such as #FixOtukpoObiOjuRoad and “37 Years of Neglect Must End Now!”
The protesters lamented that the federal government had abandoned the only major link road connecting Benue to neighbouring Cross River and Ebonyi States. The dilapidated state of the road, they said, has continued to cripple socio-economic activities, delay transport of goods and farm produce, and cause frequent accidents.
“We Have Been Forgotten for 37 Years,” Protest Leader Cries Out
Speaking with journalists during the demonstration, the leader of the protesters, Matthew Adekpe, decried the long-term neglect of the Otukpo–Obi–Oju road.
He told Akahi News that the infrastructure, originally constructed under the administration of former military president General Ibrahim Babangida (1988–1989), had not seen any meaningful maintenance or rehabilitation since completion nearly four decades ago.
“This is the only federal road connecting Benue to Cross River through Otukpo, Obi, and Oju, and it has been neglected for 37 years,” Adekpe lamented.
“We have written letters, held peaceful engagements, and sent delegations to our leaders, but all to no avail. Enough is enough!”
Federal Neglect Threatens Economic and Social Life
Akahi News gathered that the Otukpo–Obi–Oju road serves as a major economic lifeline for thousands of residents who depend on it for transportation of agricultural produce and access to healthcare, education, and markets.
The protesters accused successive governments of turning a blind eye to their suffering, despite repeated campaign promises to fix the highway. They also called on President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Works, and Benue State representatives at the National Assembly to immediately intervene before the upcoming dry season to avert further hardship.
Calls for Urgent Government Intervention
Community leaders, youth groups, and civil society organisations in the region have thrown their weight behind the protesters’ demands. Akahi News learnt that several appeals have already been submitted to the federal government, urging inclusion of the road in the next phase of national infrastructure rehabilitation projects.
Analysts who spoke with Akahi News noted that the continued deterioration of the Otukpo–Obi–Oju road symbolises a broader issue of infrastructural neglect in rural Nigeria — a situation that stifles local development and widens inequality between urban and rural communities.
The protesting youths vowed to sustain peaceful demonstrations until the federal government shows concrete commitment toward reconstructing the road. They also appealed to international development partners and road maintenance agencies to support the project, describing the road as “a forgotten artery of Benue’s economic life.”
Akahi News will continue to monitor developments around the Igede youths’ protest and government response to this long-standing infrastructural crisis in Benue South.
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